By Ryan Moehring
Regardless of your opinion of the recent bailout/rescue plan recently approved by congress, if you’re an EcoBroker® you’re probably pretty excited about the incentives the bill includes for energy efficiency and renewable energy. Among the big winners are solar, wind, geothermal and alternative fuels. The tax incentives included in the bill are:
An eight-year extension of the investment tax credit (ITC) for solar energy.
A multi-year extension of the production tax credit (PTC) for energy derived from biomass, geothermal, hydropower, waves and tides, landfill gas and solid waste (through September 30, 2011).
A one-year extension of the PTC for energy derived from wind.
Incentives for carbon capture and sequestration demonstration projects.
Incentives for the production of domestically-produced renewable fuels, such as biodiesel and renewable diesel, and for the installation of E-85 pumps for consumers to fill up flex-fuel vehicles.
Tax credits of $3,000 or more toward the purchase of fuel-efficient, plug-in hybrid vehicles.
Incentives for energy conservation in commercial buildings, residential structures and energy-efficient appliances.
The solar industry is particularly rewarded under the legislation, benefitting from substantial incentives for both residential and large-scale solar projects. The existing 30 percent solar investment tax credit has been extended to 2016, bolstering the confidence of utilities, investors and solar startups to make long-term investments in larger projects such as power plants. The $2,000 cap on the federal residential solar tax credit has been removed, which means that after December 31, 2008, homeowners who install a new system can now claim a 30 percent federal tax credit. Couple this federal credit with state incentives, and the cost to install solar is now dramatically slashed in some states.
To learn more, visit the following sites:
http://www.speaker.gov/legislation?id=0260 (Speaker Pelosi’s summary of the bill)
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:h.r.07060 (the bill in its entirety)
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Household Waste Disposal - Eco Broker Newsletter
Talking Trash: Helping Your Clients with Household Hazardous Waste Disposal
What is considered “hazardous” when a seller cleans out trash while readying a home for sale? What if a buyer moves into an existing home and finds old paint in the garage? The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that Americans generate approximately 1.6 million tons of hazardous waste each year. The National Marketing Institute, which documents growth of consumer trends, shows an increase since 2006 in the numbers of consumers who participated in household hazardous waste (HHW) disposal.
Realtors have an opportunity to provide local information to buyers and sellers about proper disposal of these materials and products. Many buyers and sellers may not be aware of which common household items are considered harmful to living things and the environment. Even if clients know which materials and products are hazardous and they have separated those items from everyday trash, they may not know where to take them. Enter the Realtor.
John Cafasso, a Certified EcoBroker®, works in the Colorado Springs area of Colorado’s El Paso County. Cafasso provides clients with a flyer listing hazardous household items that are accepted for disposal with the address of a site for homeowners in that area. Cafasso said his local board, the Pikes Peak Association of Realtors, was receptive to his recommendation and even posted the flyer on their website’s homepage. “When you go to a listing appointment, provide the client with a flyer,” Cafasso suggests. “We also put the information in an HOA newsletter to reach even more people.” If an item contains volatile chemicals, it is on the EPA’s list of hazardous household waste. Regulation varies by state. The EPA encourages states to develop and run their own hazardous waste programs. Most states base their programs on federal requirements but some states are more stringent than others.The EPA groups all waste into categories then places items on lists based on the ignitability, corrosivity, reactivity and toxicity of each material. Most people suspect that gasoline, pesticides and herbicides make the list, but what about motor oil? Thermostats? Car batteries? Old prescriptions from the medicine cabinet? The EPA website Household Recycling pages provide lots of disposal information and relevant links. Go to www.epa.gov/Region4/recycle/householdrecycling.htm. A good, user-friendly place to start is earth911.org. At the top of their homepage is a banner to enter what type of trash homeowners/buyers have (or just type “household hazardous waste”), along with their ZIP code or City, State. Press GO and a list appears of all HHW disposal sites within 25 miles of that area. As John Cafasso puts it: “If we educate Realtors and homeowners about the household hazardous waste disposal facilities, it will be good for the environment.”
What is considered “hazardous” when a seller cleans out trash while readying a home for sale? What if a buyer moves into an existing home and finds old paint in the garage? The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that Americans generate approximately 1.6 million tons of hazardous waste each year. The National Marketing Institute, which documents growth of consumer trends, shows an increase since 2006 in the numbers of consumers who participated in household hazardous waste (HHW) disposal.
Realtors have an opportunity to provide local information to buyers and sellers about proper disposal of these materials and products. Many buyers and sellers may not be aware of which common household items are considered harmful to living things and the environment. Even if clients know which materials and products are hazardous and they have separated those items from everyday trash, they may not know where to take them. Enter the Realtor.
John Cafasso, a Certified EcoBroker®, works in the Colorado Springs area of Colorado’s El Paso County. Cafasso provides clients with a flyer listing hazardous household items that are accepted for disposal with the address of a site for homeowners in that area. Cafasso said his local board, the Pikes Peak Association of Realtors, was receptive to his recommendation and even posted the flyer on their website’s homepage. “When you go to a listing appointment, provide the client with a flyer,” Cafasso suggests. “We also put the information in an HOA newsletter to reach even more people.” If an item contains volatile chemicals, it is on the EPA’s list of hazardous household waste. Regulation varies by state. The EPA encourages states to develop and run their own hazardous waste programs. Most states base their programs on federal requirements but some states are more stringent than others.The EPA groups all waste into categories then places items on lists based on the ignitability, corrosivity, reactivity and toxicity of each material. Most people suspect that gasoline, pesticides and herbicides make the list, but what about motor oil? Thermostats? Car batteries? Old prescriptions from the medicine cabinet? The EPA website Household Recycling pages provide lots of disposal information and relevant links. Go to www.epa.gov/Region4/recycle/householdrecycling.htm. A good, user-friendly place to start is earth911.org. At the top of their homepage is a banner to enter what type of trash homeowners/buyers have (or just type “household hazardous waste”), along with their ZIP code or City, State. Press GO and a list appears of all HHW disposal sites within 25 miles of that area. As John Cafasso puts it: “If we educate Realtors and homeowners about the household hazardous waste disposal facilities, it will be good for the environment.”
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
.jpg)